COMMUNITY IMPACT FUND

Foster Academy

Foster Academy received a $5,000 grant from the Vector Wealth Strategies Community Impact Fund in October 2018. Recently, we followed up with Bridgette Thornton, founder and board member, to see how the organization put those funds to work.

“The grant is supporting our students’ weekly field trips, which help them gain independent living skills,” Thornton said. “We’ve also been able to hire one new special education teacher and are looking to hire a second,” Thornton said.

Thornton started Foster Academy in 2017 to teach not only academics, but social and life skills to fifth through 12th grade students who have Asperger's syndrome, high functioning Autism, ADD/ADHD. Her son has autism, but functions on a higher level and was about to enter the eighth grade when she began working to create a school environment where he, and students like him, could thrive. Thornton refers to the start of Foster Academy as truly providential. “I found a teacher and then another teacher. I received a lot of moral support and some financial support. We leased a space at a reasonable price and now in just two short years, we have 21 students and are at capacity,” Thornton said.

The mission of Foster Academy is to provide students with a quality education along with life and social skills that will afford them independence and improved integration into society.